Post by Fr. Barry Stephenson on Nov 10, 2017 13:58:27 GMT -5
Feeling his hand on her shoulder as he explained what he was doing and asked her if she was alright, she slowly shook her head as she kept looking down at her hands, imagining that there was blood on them. "No...I'm not alright...I was remembering what all happened at San Simeon...remembered the guy I tried to save, Frank Willis...the Heavy set older man who was a Mechanic. He was climbing down the stair's when that place blew up. I went flying where as for him...he fell to the ground with a chunk of Concrete slammed into the back of his head...he died as soon as he hit the ground. I can't help but Not see his face. A face I couldn't save from that blasted explosion....fucking Earthquakes..." She explained, raising a hand and wiping some tears that started to stream down her face. "I took an oath when I was a Nurse and an EMT to try and save every person that I come across that needs the help...and I couldn't save him.."
Reaching over towards Mercy, Pastor Stephenson held her and whispered to her as ehr tears flowed, "No one knew what was going to happen, Mercy," he said. "No one knew that earthquake was going to hit that day; it could've hit sooner or it might never have hit us but the simple fact remains that it did...and while we've all lost people close to us, we're still alive, Mercy, okay? We're still alive?" Leaning back, he took hold of her hands and held them in his, trying to calm her down as he spoke to her.
"Mercy, when we live this life, we don't know what's going to happen to us today or tomorrow or any day; we simply don't know...but every day we live is a day to the good, a day to remember those close to us, those who walk beside us and those who have fallen. Now, I did not personally know Frank but I know he was a valued part of your group and I can tell that you grieve for him; that's perfectly okay, Mercy. Grief is something we deal with every day, each in our ways....there's a line of Scripture - Ecclesiastes 9:11 as I recall - that comes to mind, Mercy, in times like this...."I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all."
"As long as we're alive and walking the earth, then the lives of those we've lost will not have been in vein...and someday, maybe we'll get to see him in the next life and you know what they'll say upon that reunion? 'Welcome back, thou good and faithful servant.'" Leaning back, Pastor Stephenson knelt back down beside Mercy and added, "Now, you remember what I said, okay? You ever need to talk about anything, you come and see me, okay? Okay?" his piercing gaze emphasizing the point.
Reaching over towards Mercy, Pastor Stephenson held her and whispered to her as ehr tears flowed, "No one knew what was going to happen, Mercy," he said. "No one knew that earthquake was going to hit that day; it could've hit sooner or it might never have hit us but the simple fact remains that it did...and while we've all lost people close to us, we're still alive, Mercy, okay? We're still alive?" Leaning back, he took hold of her hands and held them in his, trying to calm her down as he spoke to her.
"Mercy, when we live this life, we don't know what's going to happen to us today or tomorrow or any day; we simply don't know...but every day we live is a day to the good, a day to remember those close to us, those who walk beside us and those who have fallen. Now, I did not personally know Frank but I know he was a valued part of your group and I can tell that you grieve for him; that's perfectly okay, Mercy. Grief is something we deal with every day, each in our ways....there's a line of Scripture - Ecclesiastes 9:11 as I recall - that comes to mind, Mercy, in times like this...."I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all."
"As long as we're alive and walking the earth, then the lives of those we've lost will not have been in vein...and someday, maybe we'll get to see him in the next life and you know what they'll say upon that reunion? 'Welcome back, thou good and faithful servant.'" Leaning back, Pastor Stephenson knelt back down beside Mercy and added, "Now, you remember what I said, okay? You ever need to talk about anything, you come and see me, okay? Okay?" his piercing gaze emphasizing the point.